The Chiefs' ability to complete the trade for the former 49ers starter and 2005 first overall draft pick on Wednesday is a "win" situation for them, but the steep price was sending a 2013 second-round pick (34th overall), plus a 2014 conditional middle-round pick to San Francisco. The 49ers now have a stockpile of 15 picks in the 2013 NFL Draft. And when you also consider they are clearing $8.5 million in salary by moving Smith — who would have remained No. 2 behind Colin Kaepernick if he had stayed with the team — it's a much bigger win for them.

Although the deal won't go into effect until March 12, it will soon have some ripple effects across the league, well beyond the individuals involved on both teams:

— Alex Smith. Smith didn't want to be the backup in San Francisco and gets his wish to resume starting elsewhere. He benefited from a strong supporting cast and an even stronger 49ers offensive coaching staff in enjoying his long-awaited big breakthrough under Harbaugh in 2011. He kept up that high level of efficiency through the first half of last season. When Smith, after suffering a concussion, was demoted in favor of Kaepernick, it wasn't because he was playing poorly but rather because the 49ers thought they could play better with Kaepernick.

From the Chiefs' perspective, they are trying to clean up the quarterback mess they had in toggling between Matt Cassel and Brady Quinn last season. To them, Smith looks like a solution, someone who posted a most attractive 104.1 passer rating last season and a 20-5-1 record as a starter — including playoffs — over the past two seasons in San Francisco.

Considering the so-so quarterback draft class and even less-inspiring options on the veteran free-agent market, Smith looked like an attractive trade possibility to a lot of teams. But to fit his skill set of intermediate accuracy and mobility, he needed to go to a team that operated with the best principles of a rhythmic, West Coast passing game. The Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and Arizona Cardinals might have been all been interested at some point, but he couldn't have found a better home than Reid's Chiefs.

— Andy Reid. The Chiefs brought in the long-time Philadelphia head coach to help revive their dormant offense. There's no secret his experience and acumen on that side of the ball were also important in helping them identify the quarterback with whom they could be the most competitive in the near future. From Donovan McNabb all the way down to Nick Foles, Reid has a history of getting the most out of his quarterbacks. Before he left the Eagles, Reid's influence helped Michael Vick work well with his second chance, and now he gets that opportunity with Smith. Smith, 28, has just found his stride in his career, and that makes him less of a project for Reid.

If Reid had attached himself to a rookie to mentor from scratch, Kansas City was probably looking at a three-year process to get back in the playoff picture. Now, he along with general manager John Dorsey, can focus on strengthening everything around the quarterback, knowing Smith can be successful with a solid foundation of talent like he had in San Francisco. With the first overall pick in the draft, the Chiefs are expected to get a top pass protector. They can work on trying to keep free agent Dwayne Bowe around as Smith's top receiver. They know they already have great running game pop with Jamaal Charles.

Just how successful Reid will be in Kansas City is now tied to Smith, and he must do everything he can to help Smith help himself.

— Jim Harbaugh and 49ers general manager Trent Baalke. The 49ers now hold the No. 31 and No. 34 overall picks in this draft. When you factor in their original second-rounder (No. 61) plus a pair of third-rounders, they now have five of the draft's first 93 selections. It's a good year to have options with a draft that has more quality depth across positions than top-end talent at a few.

The 49ers can add well to the offensive foundation they have with Kaepernick and also find ways to plug some defensive holes with younger, faster players. Harbaugh and Baalke have done remarkable personnel work in just two years together, and now they are loaded with ammunition if they want to use those picks to make another trade for an immediate impact veteran.

— Geno Smith and Matt Barkley. Now that Alex Smith will be in Kansas City, it rules out the possibility of the Chiefs using the No. 1 pick on Geno Smith. The Jaguars now need to decide whether Geno Smith is worth taking at No. 2 to give Blaine Gabbert competition while the Raiders and Eagles are even bigger wild cards at Nos. 3 and 4. If Smith slips past that range, he's looking at landing with the Cardinals at No. 7. Although Arizona saw the Chiefs grab Alex Smith, it leaves them with a much clearer shot at Geno Smith.

Southern Cal's Barkley had been attached to the Cardinals there, but at No. 8, the Bills might prefer to go for another quarterback such as North Carolina State's Mike Glennon or Syracuse's Ryan Nassib. In a class that has no surefire stars at quarterback, the Alex Smith trade should make several teams reconsider their first-round plans.

— Luke Joeckel and Eric Fisher. The Chiefs need and want that elite left tackle, and Joeckel and Fisher, rising as the consensus top two overall prospects in the draft, happen to play that position. Instead of worrying about whether they're reaching for a quarterback at No. 1, the Chiefs can just focus on which athletic rock they like a little better to put in front of Alex Smith.

— Matt Cassel, Matt Flynn, Matt Moore and any displaced QBs not named Matt. Cassel will need to find work outside of Kansas City. Among the veteran trade targets, Flynn, the Seahawks' backup, is next in line to draw attention from the most desperate of the quarterback-needy teams. As far as unrestricted free agents, Moore, the former Panthers and Dolphins starter, is as good as it gets. There just isn't another veteran passer out there with the same resume as Smith who will become available.

— Nick Foles. The second-year quarterback showed late promise under Reid. If those QB-needy teams want to avoid the veteran path and aren't crazy about the draft, here's a potential happy medium. The Eagles still have Vick, have added Dennis Dixon and may add someone else through the draft. Trading for Foles, if Philadelphia officials oblige, wouldn't cost much as a low-risk, high-reward gamble.

— Darrelle Revis. Who could the 49ers possibly go after if they want to use some of those draft picks to pull off a blockbuster? You have may have heard the Jets are looking to trade Revis, who is coming off a major knee injury (ACL) and wanting yet another richer contract. You may have also heard that San Francisco would love to upgrade its cornerback play. If the 49ers see Revis returning healthy to be his elite shutdown self, he's the type of player worth pursuing to put a team on the brink of winning it all over the top.